Braces Without The Bite

Posted: Monday 10 May 2010 08:47am

Eradicating lines, wrinkles, and restoring youthful contours to ageing faces used to be the stuff of unattainable fantasy – all is now achievable with volumising injectable dermal fillers, breakthroughs in laser science for skin rejuvenation and developments in surgical techniques.

Yet the role teeth play in the process of facial ageing is often overlooked. Natural ageing and tooth wear can lead to a shortened vertical face dimension, resulting in wrinkles and thin, compressed lips that can make you look older than you are. The lower jaw can be forced back and look small because of a deep over-bite.

Whether or not you had braces as a teenager does not prevent your bite causing problems and/or a prematurely aged appearance in later years.

“The shape of our faces and our bites are formed as we develop between ages six to 13,” says Dr Sam Muslin, a proponent of “facelift dentistry” in Santa Monica, California.
“During that time we were growing and after that time we continued to grow. Our bites were formed randomly and without any precision.
“Cosmetic dentistry [veneers, whitening etc] can make us look better but generally does not address health concerns or the shape of our faces,” says Dr Muslin.
Orthodontics are increasingly sought by Australian adults, not only to address the aesthetics of crooked teeth but the health and other implications of bad bites.
“An increasing number of adults now undergo orthodontic treatment, due to heightened dental awareness and the fact that more patients have all or most of their teeth,” according to the Colgate conglomerate.

One of the most obvious ways to correct a bad bite and create a broader, more appealing smile is braces, but many adults are deterred by the prospect of mouthfuls of metal, as they remember the experience being.
However, “invisible” options, such as Invisalign technology, have become increasingly popular and effective over the past few years, making orthodontics more agreeable to adults who would be too self-conscious to wear metal braces for personal or profressional reasons.

“Invisalign to orthodontics is like contact lenses to optometry,” says Dr Grant Duncan, clinical consultant and teacher in the Graduate Orthodontic Program University of Adelaide School of Dentistry. “Forty years ago eyesight problems could only be managed by thick lens glasses. The first contact lenses were made of glass, and were uncomfortable and difficult to wear. Now we have disposable, lightweight, comfortable, permeable, breathable contact lenses.

“Invisalign is in the early stages of the same process. 10 years in, over one million patients have been in treatment, with numbers growing daily.”
Celebrities as varied as teen wonder Justin Bieber, former Grey’s Anatomy star Katherine Heigl, champion golfer Ian Baker-Finch and Olympic swimmer Liesl Jones sing Invisalign’s praises.
But the benefits are far more than aesthetic.

“[Metal braces] are visible, uncomfortable and can cause irritation, ulcers, and sore teeth,” says Dr Duncan. “There is also oral hygiene difficulty that can result in decay and decalcification and the permanent marking of teeth, and braces removal can put micro-scratches in tooth enamel, effecting lustre and sheen.”
“The more uncommon complications are loss of vitality (death of a tooth nerve) and root resorption (tooth root being eaten away and shortening)”.
Invisalign straightens teeth by using a series of clear, removable aligners. The course of treatment, which can last anywhere between nine and 18 months, involves moving teeth into a straighter position, step by step, with a series of clear plastic aligners.

Patients visit their practitioner every six to eight weeks for adjustments and to check progress.
Unlike metal braces, these clear aligners can be removed, allowing users to eat and brush their teeth as usual.
“We use computer imaging to look at the patient’s original bite model and determine where we want their teeth to be,” says Sydney dental practitioner Dr Michael Finkelstein.
“Then we make up a sequence of 20-30 invisible mouthguards which the patient changes every two weeks.
“Effectiveness all depends on patient compliance. If your patient wears their plates all the time you get a great result.”

Dr Fadi Yassmin, of Sydney’s Broadway Dental, says treatment can last anywhere between three months (to correct mild lower overlapping teeth) and 18 months. Depending on the length of treatmen, prices may vary from $6000-$10,000.
“Patients are normally very pleased with the results,” says Dr Yassmin. “You will achieve the same results [as with metal braces] although in some cases it will take longer than the conventional treatment.”
People who are not good candidates are those with jaw problems; “TMJ problems, jaw joint problems, headaches, someone who has a bigger discrepancy with the bones rather than the teeth, the relation between the top jaw and the lower jaw – overbites, underbites and openbites,” says Dr Cary Fraser of Sydney’s Bay Dental + Orthodontics.”

Another “invisible” orthodontics option is I-braces, which are worn on the inside of the teeth.
“The advantages of having them on the inside are you can’t see them,” says Dr Fraser. “Some of the disadvantages are they are more expensive, can affect speech for a little while and can take longer to work. They can be initially uncomfortable as well.”
Made of cast gold individually crafted for each tooth so it can be expensive and with pre-bent wires, the system is very accurate, says Dr Fraser, “but they’ll also cost around $12,000 and you’d be wearing them for up to two years.
“There is a technique with inside braces where you do just the front six teeth – it’s called “the social six” – that can take three months and cost around $3000.”

Keep Reading:
1. Before & After: Teeth Straightening
2. At  Home Teeth Whitening Systems

by Jenni Gilbert

Comments (1) Print Send to friend Share or bookmark this page